Home Schools Washington University in St Louis Research and Experimental Psychology
Psychology · Research and Experimental Psychology Rank #58 of 84

Research and Experimental Psychologyat Washington University in St Louis

Graduates earn $37,377/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above the national Research and Experimental Psychology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $462K; scenarios range from $441K to $460K depending on AI disruption.

Saint Louis, MO Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
38 AT RISK
38
Optimistic
37
Pessimistic
Earnings
$37,377
1-year post-graduation
ROI
0.5x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$462K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Washington University in St Louis

A Washington University degree in Research and Experimental Psychology sets you up for a path deeply rooted in analytical thinking and data interpretation, rather than direct clinical practice. The rigorous curriculum here emphasizes research methodology, statistics, and critical inquiry, preparing you for roles that demand strong problem-solving skills. You'll often find graduates excelling in academic research, data analytics, market research, or program evaluation for various organizations, leveraging their ability to understand human behavior through a scientific lens. WashU's strong institutional reputation and extensive research opportunities, often within the university's own robust ecosystem or St. Louis's healthcare sector, provide invaluable practical experience and networking. While some analytical tasks may face automation, your WashU training equips you with the advanced critical thinking to design experiments and interpret complex findings, which remains highly valued. Focus on internships that deepen your quantitative and computational skills to maximize your versatility.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$441K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score37/100
Earnings Multiple1.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$462K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score38/100
Earnings Multiple1.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$460K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score38/100
Earnings Multiple1.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Washington University in St Louis's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Research and Experimental Psychology graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Managers, all other
+4.5% 10-yr growth · 106,700 openings/yr
$136,550/yr
Moderate
2
Psychologists, all other
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 3,900 openings/yr
$117,580/yr
Moderate
3
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
4
Statisticians
+8.5% 10-yr growth · 2,000 openings/yr
$103,300/yr
High
5
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 9,600 openings/yr
$100,590/yr
High
6
Clinical and counseling psychologists
+11.2% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$95,830/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Research and Experimental Psychology

How Washington University in St Louis stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Tufts University
MA · Private nonprofit
49
DW Score
$57K
1-yr earn
1.1x
ROI
Top score
Columbia University in the City of New York
NY · Private nonprofit
53
DW Score
$53K
1-yr earn
1.9x
ROI
Johns Hopkins University
MD · Private nonprofit
46
DW Score
$49K
1-yr earn
0.9x
ROI
Yale University
CT · Private nonprofit
46
DW Score
$48K
1-yr earn
0.8x
ROI
Bates College
ME · Private nonprofit
45
DW Score
$47K
1-yr earn
0.9x
ROI
Also at Washington University in St Louis

Other top programs at Washington University in St Louis

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Washington University in St Louis, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Research and Experimental Psychology at Washington University in St Louis

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Research and Experimental Psychology at Washington University in St Louis?

A score of 38/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Research and Experimental Psychology. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Research and Experimental Psychology careers?

With 44% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $440,831 in decade earnings vs $459,665 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Is Washington University in St Louis a hidden gem for Research and Experimental Psychology?

After financial aid, the average student pays $88,468 over four years — 65% below the $251,928 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.